Medicean silenced any doubts about his stamina to
land a memorable running of the Stg£325,000 Coral Eurobet Eclipse Stakes at Sandown Park this afternoon.
The mile-and-a-quarter contest was run at a tremendous gallop throughout with Godolphin`s pacemaker Broche, running supposedly to aid stablemate Tobougg, setting off in front like a scalded cat.
As Broche capitulated it was the James Fanshawe-trained Grandera who hit the front at the two-furlong pole from Irish challenger Bach but Medicean and Kieren Fallon were starting to close.
And the fast early pace told as Grandera and Bach were able to give no more in the final strides and Medicean flew past on the outside to score by half a length at 7-2 with Grandera (8-1) holding off Bach (20-1) by a neck for the runner-up spot.
Tobougg, the 9-4 favourite was a never-nearer fourth with dual Group One winner Black Minnaloushe similarly never able to land a blow one place further back.
Medicean was providing trainer Sir Michael Stoute with his fourth winner of the race after Opera House (1993), Ezzoud (1994) and Pilsudski (1997) and Fallon with his first Eclipse.
PA